Nico : Drama Of Exile 1981

Christa Paffgen (16 October 1938 –[citation needed] 18 July 1988), known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, musician, model, and actress. She had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) and Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls (1966).

At the insistence of Warhol, she recorded vocals for three songs of the Velvet Underground's debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967). At the same time, she started a solo career and released Chelsea Girl. Nico's friend Jim Morrison suggested that she start writing her own material. She then composed songs on a harmonium, not traditionally a rock instrument; John Cale became her musical arranger and produced The Marble Index, Desertshore, The End... and other subsequent albums.

Drama of Exile, in 1981. produced by Philippe Quilichini. Mahamad Hadi aka Mad Sheer Khan played oriental rock guitar and wrote all the oriental production. It was a departure from her earlier work with John Cale, featuring a mixture of rock and Middle Eastern arrangements. For this album, in addition to originals like "Genghis Khan" and "Sixty Forty", Nico recorded covers of the Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting for the Man" and David Bowie's "Heroes". Drama of Exile was released twice, in two different versions, the second appearing in 1983.

Nico was a heroin addict for over 15 years. In the book Songs They Never Play on the Radio, James Young, a member of her band in the 1980s, recalls many examples of her troubling behaviour due to her "overwhelming" addiction – and that Nico claimed never to have taken the drug while in the Velvets/Factory scene but only began using during her relationship with Philippe Garrel in the 1970s. She also introduced her son to heroin consumption. Shortly before her death, Nico stopped using heroin and began methadone replacement therapy as well as a regimen of bicycle exercise and healthy eating.

Nico has influenced many musicians including Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Morrissey, Elliott Smith and Bjork. Siouxsie and the Banshees invited her as special guest on their first major UK tour in 1978; they also later covered "All Tomorrow's Parties". The Cure's leader Robert Smith has cited Desertshore as one of his favourite records, as has Bjork. Joy Division's Peter Hook cited Chelsea Girl as one of his favourite albums. Bauhaus' singer, Peter Murphy, considered that "Nico recorded the first truly Gothic album, Marble lndex or The End. 

Nico was Gothic, but she was Mary Shelley to everyone else's Hammer Horror. They both did Frankenstein, but Nico's was real." Morrissey cited Nico when asked to name artists who had a lasting influence on him: "The royal three remain the same: the New York Dolls, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, with Nico standing firm as first reserve." Morrissey also commented on the song "Innocent and Vain" with the sentence: "this is my youth in one piece of music"

On 18 July 1988, while on vacation on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza with her son Ari, Nico had a heart attack while riding a bicycle, and she hit her head as she fell. A passing taxi driver found her unconscious, and he had difficulty getting her admitted to local hospitals. She was misdiagnosed as suffering from heat exposure, and died at eight o'clock that evening. X-rays later revealed a severe cerebral hemorrhage as the cause of death.

Solo studio albums

Year     Title

1966     Chelsea Girl

1968     The Marble Index

1970     Desertshore

1974     The End...

1978     Fata Morgana

1982     Drama of Exile

1986     Camera Obscura

Nico – vocals

Muhammad Hadi (Mad Sheer Khan) – lead guitar, fretless bouzouki, snitra, backing vocals, piano

Philippe Quilichini – bass, African percussions, rhythm guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals

Steve Cordona – drums

J. J. Johnson – percussion, trumpet

Davey Payne – saxophone

Andy Clark – organ, piano, synthesizer

TRACKS

01. Genghis Khan  3:52

02. Purple Lips  4:10

03. One More Chance  5:38

04. Henry Hudson    3:54

05. I'm Waiting for the Man  (Lou Reed)  4:13

06. Sixty/Forty      4:50

07. The Sphinx     3:30

08. Orly Flight     3:55

09. Heroes  (David Bowie)  6:06

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